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Category: Drawing Insects

Tips, tricks, and techniques to help you observe and draw insects.

How to Draw Butterflies in Dynamic Positions

How to Draw Butterflies in Dynamic Positions

In this “Ask Jack” workshop, John Muir Laws teaches how to draw butterflies in different position while retaining their liveliness. (Plus learn how to tell a live butterfly from a dead butterfly in field guide illustrations!). August 2021. Read More

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Watercolor Hour with Rosalie Haizlett

Watercolor Hour with Rosalie Haizlett

In this special Nature Journal Club workshop, our guest Rosalie Haizlett shares some of her favorite methods and tricks in watercolor and more, as well as a few of the major roadblocks that beginners face when it comes to watercolor, and how to move beyond them with confidence. Rosalie Haizlett is a recent author who Read More

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Drawing Butterflies and Rare Birds

Drawing Butterflies and Rare Birds

In this “Ask Jack” session, we learn how to draw butterflies and rare birds, starting with blocking them in, and gradually adding details and notes so as not to get overwhelmed. Read More

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How to Draw Bugs

How to Draw Bugs

Let’s draw bugs! John Muir Laws explores drawing bugs from angles that convey their liveliness. This workshop was part of the live Ask Jack series, where participants request and choose the topic of the day. Read More

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How to draw Cast Shadows (video)

How to draw Cast Shadows (video)

Cast shadows are different than object shadows. Here are a few concepts and strategies to help you draw shadows on the ground or cast across other objects. Learn to make bug shadows and shadows beneath found objects in your nature journal. Read More

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How to Draw a Shiny Beetle (video)

How to Draw a Shiny Beetle (video)

Carolyn found a shiny water beetle near our house. When I painted it I got a rather dull looking drawing. In this video, I rework the sketch to make it look glossy. The trick is punching up the contrast. Please excuse problems with the sound sync on this video. I was able to correct most Read More

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Spider anatomy for artists

Fall is here and it is time to draw spiders. In this season female spiders have reached their full size and are ready to mate. Their webs are easily seen in the morning dew. Understanding how the body is put together will help you draw what you see with greater ease. As in insects, the body Read More

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How to draw a dragonfly: Flame Skimmer

Learn how to draw the transparent wings of a dragonfly in this step-by-step demonstration. Drawing glossy transparent wings is challenging. By using this bag of tricks you will be able to suggest transparency in your drawings. Here are points to consider. Lines should be lighter when seen through the transparent membrane. Use less detail on Read More

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Drawing foreshortened insects: Seven-spotted Ladybug

Learn how to draw a foreshortened ladybug in a step-by-step demonstration. Drawing insects from the top view is useful for identification but may lack dynamic interest. Three quarter views of insects show the height and form in ways you can not show from above. Visualizing the way that straight lines wrap around rounded forms is Read More

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How do straight lines curve on a rounded surface?

Straight lines appear to curve on a rounded surface. Practice seeing and drawing these lines will greatly improve your ability to draw what you see. Print out the latitude and longitude lines in the figure at the right. Trace over these lines about ten times then draw them free hand. As you trace, do not just Read More

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Recent Blog Post Index

  • Assembling a Composite with David Lukas
  • How to Draw Butterflies in Dynamic Positions
  • NJEF: The Amani Orphanage Experience
  • Answering Questions
  • Class: Learn to Draw Water with John Muir Laws

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